


Touch

by STARSdidathing



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Affection, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hugs, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki (Marvel) Gets a Hug, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Slash, Sensitivity, Touch-Starved, Touching, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23978998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: Loki has always been sensitive to the touch, but he discovers with Tony it's... different.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 75
Kudos: 790
Collections: Best Jotunn Loki AUs





	Touch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kirlya_Tzara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirlya_Tzara/gifts), [midgardian_leviosa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/midgardian_leviosa/gifts).



> A gift for these two lovelies! You not-so-inadvertently inspired me to write this even if it's probably like we were originally talking about. 
> 
> I hope you both like it anyway! Sorry it took a while ^^;;
> 
> ~~I have no idea what this is or how to tag it sjfkfgd~~

Loki had always been sensitive to the touch. It had caused difficulty in his younger years until Frigga had crafted a spell to minimise the effects. When he got older, he used his own seidr to strengthen it. He also took to avoiding the touch of others. A feat that grew easier with every decade as his perchance for pranks and dry humour gained more distaste than affection.

By the time he was an adult, everyone forgot the reason for his aversion to touch and mocked it as one more strange thing about him. When he uncovered the truth of his heritage, it all began to make a twisted, horrific sense.

If the touch of a Jotun could turn an Aesir’s skin black – surely, the touch of an Aesir could sting his own skin until he was forced to shy away.

It had long became habitual to avoid others. He only ever touched in battle or when Thor clasped his neck or arm (a gesture that had become few and far between after his fall and invasion of Midgard).

Loki was _used_ to closely guarding his personal space and it was why, he was not prepared for Anthony Stark to completely disregard it.

The mortal was wary of him when he first arrived at the Tower to ‘repent’, but as the days turned to weeks, his suspicion became curiosity. When they began to converse with something other than sharp barbs and hostility, they started to… get along.

It still took three months before the mortal started inviting him into the lab. But once he was there and once he learned to distinguish between and speak to the ‘bots – Anthony started to touch him.

It was small, at first. 

A hand on his arm or back when he leant in to see what Loki was working on. A brush of their bodies as they passed one another tools or changed positions in the lab. Loki shivered at each touch and unlike the desire to pull away from the Aesir. Anthony made Loki want to get _closer_.

He’d had different reactions from various lifeforms and had categorised them with interest. The Elves posed the least amount of problems (aside from the Jotnar who did not affect him at _all_ ) and it was why the few lovers he had taken had been from their race.

Anthony was the first person who’s touch he _liked_.

The moment he realised that, he increased the power of his spell and tried to avoid contact with the mortal. A feat that was not easily achieved as Anthony Stark was naturally affectionate.

And, the more he touched, the less the spell dampened it.

What started as a small tingling and a yearning to get closer soon became a full body shudder. Loki tried to repress his responses and hide them from Anthony’s notice, but he knew it couldn’t last forever.

In the end, it took returning from Asgard for his secret to be revealed. He’d returned to consult some of his magic texts in an attempt to increase the spell's potency. He hadn’t had any luck and although he had considered speaking to Frigga, he wasn’t yet willing to talk with her about something so intrinsic to the lies of his past.

He’d returned feeling frustrated. When he'd walked from the landing bay into the penthouse, he'd found Anthony standing there and offering him a bright smile. 

“Welcome back, Lokes,” he said.

He then walked up to him and without any hesitation or warning, he threw his arms around Loki in a hug.

The breath punched out of Loki and he shuddered violently. Anthony’s body was warm, but not hot. He felt like a warm cup of tea or an afternoon in the sun. 

His reaction didn’t go unnoticed. Anthony stiffened before pulling back his arms. Loki barely bit down on his mewl of protest.

“Uh, sorry,” Anthony said, sounding apologetic. When Loki opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) Anthony looked sheepish. “Probably shouldn’t have done that. I know you’re not big on touching. Just wanted to welcome you back, you know? I hug Rhodey and Bruce too. And Pep. I mean, any of my friends really. It’s kind of something I do. Hug, that is. I didn’t mean to-”

Loki stopped the babbling not by speaking – not like he _should have done_. Instead, he closed the distance between them and after a moment of hesitation with his hands half raised, he touched Anthony’s waist and drew the smaller man against his chest.

The hug was awkward, helped in part by him barely holding in another shudder. His arms were stiff and Anthony was still against him.

For ten seconds, Loki regretted his actions – but then Anthony’s arms wrapped around him and he burrowed closer. Loki’s eyes almost rolled back at the feeling.

_Norns, what must it be like without clothing?_

“So, I’m guessing hugs are okay then?” Anthony asked, his words slightly mumbled in Loki’s shirt.

Loki hummed while trying to resist rubbing his arms up and down Anthony’s back or nuzzling his hair.

“Ah, Lokes?” Anthony said, sounding bemused. “You know you’re kind of purring, right?”

Loki stiffened, but when Anthony stroked a hand over his spine, Loki melted. He also let out a soft groan of pure bliss. Anthony’s hand paused, but only for a moment before it started up again, a little more cautiously this time.

“I feel like I’m missing something here,” Anthony remarked. “Anything you want to explain?”

“N-Not particularly,” Loki answered, his words coming out hitched and a little slurred.

Yet, despite his words, he knew Anthony wouldn’t let this go without an answer. He might also _stop_ and that was the last thing Loki wanted.

“My heritage means touch is… painful for me,” Loki said. Anthony froze, but Loki hurried to continue, “ _Your_ touch is not. It is…” he sighed and gave in to the urge to nuzzle the man’s hair and stroke his back. “ _Lovely_.”

Anthony was silent for a long time, but Loki didn’t mind, he was too busy rubbing his arms against the other man’s back. He wanted to rub their _bodies_ together and get as much of them against one another as possible.

Would it be too much to ask Anthony to lay down on a bed with him somewhere?

“So,” Anthony finally said. “You’re saying you’re touched-starved and I’m the best thing for your nerves since sliced bread?”

“Mm,” Loki hummed again.

Slowly, Anthony chuckled. It sounded fond and amused and his voice only confirmed it, “Good thing I had nothing to do today.”

He pulled away and Loki couldn’t stop his whine, but Anthony just grabbed his wrist and tugged him towards the couch.

“Come on, Dasher. You’ve just won an all access free pass to Tony Stark cuddles.”

When he dropped down on his back, Loki was instantly on top of him. Slotting their bodies together until there was nothing that wasn’t touching. This time, he heard Anthony gasp as their hips rolled together and Loki’s hands slid under the man’s top to rest against his sides. His hands tingled and Loki shuddered again.

He couldn’t help hoping that it wouldn’t just be cuddles he would have access to today.


End file.
